A Daytrip To Frankfurt am Main – A Guide For Culture Lovers

Frankfurt am Main is an interesting case study in restoring history and embracing modernity. A day in Germany’s financial hub is merely a taster: read on for inspiration to guide your own daytrip itinerary.

A Daytrip to Frankfurt am Main

The previous post on the Salterton Arts Review was a daytrip guide to Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, imagining that perhaps you were based in Frankfurt and fancied a day out. Today we will do the reverse, and talk about a daytrip to Frankfurt! In actual fact, on my recent trip to Germany I stayed on the edges of Bad Homburg and so enjoyed daytrips to both.

And there are plenty of options for excursions like this. Frankfurt is at the heart of the Rhein-Main Metropolitan Area. With a population of 5.8 million, it covers parts of Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Bavaria. It means the transport connections between different towns and cities are pretty good, so if you don’t fancy either Frankfurt or Bad Homburg, you could try Mainz, Wiesbaden or Worms. Or, of course, there’s always a trip out on the Rhine itself. So many places to go and so little time, as usual.

What I enjoy about daytrips to Frankfurt (this is not my first) is the blend of old and new. Well, seemingly old. Before WWII, Frankfurt had the largest historic centre in Germany, with plenty of half-timbered houses. After the war, it was all gone. As were almost all the important cultural monuments. But while a lot was rebuilt in historic style, it allowed Frankfurt to modernise as well. Today old and new blend in interesting, if not always seamless, ways. But I’ve got ahead of myself a bit – let’s look at a little more of the city’s history before we dive into how to spend your day there.

Frankfurt am Main: A Potted History

Just a little disambiguation first. When we talk about Frankfurt today, we are talking about Frankfurt am Main, as in on the Main river. Mostly when people talk about Frankfurt, this is the one they mean. Not Frankfurt an der Oder over near Poland, which I’m sure is lovely. But now that we’re clear, I’m going to drop the ‘am Main’ and just talk about Frankfurt!

OK I will mention the Main just once more… It is the reason for Frankfurt’s existence: the Romans first settled it as a hill in a marshy river area. There’s Paleolithic evidence before that, but not of a serious settlement. After the Romans, “Franconovurd” (the ford of the Franks) was Charlemagne’s capital. It was a little more boring after that with Salian and Saxon emperors. Although Bernard of Clairvaux did come to Frankfurt to get everyone excited about a Second Crusade in 1147.

From the Early Modern period, Frankfurt was a city of trade, arts and sciences. Unrest between trade guilds and the city council erupted as an anti-Jewish pogrom in 1612, though, so it wasn’t good for everyone. Frankfurt became an Imperial Free City after the Thirty Years War, but lost that status during one of several occupations in the Napoleonic period.

We covered Frankfurt’s WWII destruction above. It took about 20 years to clear all the rubble. Some buildings (like St. Paul’s Church) were reconstructed in a simplified style. Other sites were given over to more modern architecture. It was only in 2018 that the Neue Aldstadt (the New Old Town) was completed in medieval style as part of an urban regeneration project. Post-war regeneration also had something to do with Frankfurt’s current status as an economic hub. It had long been an important trade hub. But it was in 1948 that the Allies set up what was to become Germany’s Federal Bank here. By the 1950s Frankfurt’s Stock Exchange was Germany’s largest, so it’s perhaps unsurprising that other banks and financial institutions moved in. Today Frankfurt is home to the European Central Bank, and second only to London as a European financial centre.

Museums and Cultural Institutions

With only a day in Frankfurt, a visit to a museum or gallery can be a way to get a good feel for the city in a short space of time. Like all major cities there are really a lot of options, so I’ve selected a few suggestions for you here:

• Historisches Museum Frankfurt (Historical Museum Frankfurt). A great place to start to learn about the city’s history. And even better, it’s right in the Old Town.
• Staedel Museum. Just across the river is the city’s main art museum, displaying art from the 14th century to the present. I’ve visited before and recommend it.
• Museum für Moderne Kunst (Museum of Modern Art – MMK). If you want more contemporary art, this museum, spread over a couple of buildings, is a good pick.
• Archäologisches Museum Frankfurt (Archaeological Museum Frankfurt). Should be reopening right about now after a closure for refurbishment.
• Frankfurter Goethe Haus (Goethe’s House Frankfurt). The famous German author’s birthplace and childhood home. Although technically this is a post-WWII reconstruction.
• Jüdisches Museum Frankfurt / Museum Judengasse (Jewish Museum Frankfurt / Judengasse Museum). Interconnected institutions exploring Jewish life in the city. The Museum Judengasse includes archaeological excavations from the city’s Early Modern Jewish ghetto.
• Dialogmuseum (Dialogue Museum). A museum and social enterprise where small groups are guided through the darkened space by blind or partially-sighted hosts. Easily reached on foot from the old town: it’s actually in one of the subway passages of the Hauptwache train station.

There are many more museums and galleries besides: read about a few of them here. Depending on the weather during your trip I would recommend one to two. Perhaps one historical and one art gallery? Similar to Berlin which has a Museumsinsel (Museum Island), Frankfurt has a Museumsufer (Museum Embankment). Not a bad place to start if you just can’t choose.

Frankfurt: European Financial Hub

Maybe you’re not here for the history and the art. Maybe you’re here to see the EU’s biggest financial centre. If so, what is there to actually see and do?

Not a lot, I have to say. You could fill many more daytrips in museums than you could in places related to Frankfurt’s banking and financial sector. After all, what we’re talking about here are workplaces and corporate buildings, maybe a few with some public access. So let’s reframe it. Firstly, the modern city of Frankfurt has been shaped by its financial importance. Meaning skyscrapers. They’re not as big or as numerous as New York or London, but they’re there. And changing fast. We went up the Main Tower for a better look.

The Main Tower has Frankfurt’s highest viewing platform, and actually its only viewing platform in the financial district. The tower was built between 1996 and 1999 as headquarters for Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen (Helaba). The architects were Schweger + Partner. The views are good from the open platform. We could see how green the area around the city is, including the hills surrounding Bad Homburg. We could also see how fast the city architecture is changing. You know those panels on viewing decks to help you spot landmarks nearby? The ones on the Main Tower are already out of date, with new buildings blocking off several reference points. But it’s a good way to spend 30 minutes or so.

Another way to experience Frankfurt as a financial hub is to sit for a while in the park outside the European Central Bank. Not only will you get a good view of the Euro sculpture: the different languages you hear spoken by businessmen and women are also a byproduct of banks attracting an international population. Sadly for London, a significant number of those jobs have moved here since Brexit.

Other Activities & Final Practicalities

Right, we’ve looked at some art and museums. We’ve been up the Main Tower and experienced Frankfurt as a financial hub. What else is there to do on a daytrip to Germany’s fifth-largest city?

For starters, we haven’t taken time out yet to relax and watch the world go by! There are two nice spots to do this: by the river, or the Römerberg. The river is a nice place to get an icecream, and you might like to sample the local beverage, Apfelwein (‘apple wine’, like a very dry cider). Or you might like to take a short river cruise.

If you choose the Römerberg (meaning ‘Roman Mountain’ – see how we’ve come full circle?) then your experience will for sure be touristy, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I have enjoyed a leisurely lunch here on one or two occasions, washed down with a large beer. Vegetarians may struggle as it’s a lot of traditional, meaty German food, but if you come at the right time of year you can find local speciality grüne Soße, or green sauce. See the picture above: it’s a blend of many herbs and goes great with schnitzel.

And if you still have time before your return journey, why not look into the Ebbelwei Expreß, a sightseeing tram that comes with some of that Apfelwein I mentioned earlier. Or there are seasonal Christmas markets, of course: the possibilities for such a short visit are almost endless. Let me know below if I’ve missed any must-see attractions!